The awards acknowledge members who are committed to delivering the highest standards of trusted and professional advice to Australian consumers, as well as those who go above and beyond to support their local community through pro bono and volunteer work. Additionally, the awards highlight the contribution of outstanding university students who represent the future of the financial advice profession.

FAAA general manager membership, Tania Milnes, said the awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements across the wider advice profession and those who give extra effort to assist in their field and local community.

“The FAAA awards continue to recognise and celebrate those within the Australian financial advice profession that showcase the highest standards of professionalism and care.

“Financial advice is important for all Australians in maximising resilience and achieving their financial outcomes, therefore we recognise dedicated advisers who are committed to helping fellow Australians do so,” Ms Milnes said.

The finalists of the FAAA CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional of the Year Award are:

• Sarah Leslie CFP®, Story Wealth Management
• Mark O’Flynn CFP®, Oxlade Financial
• Joe Stephan CFP®, Stephan Independent Advisory

The finalists for FAAAAdviser of the Year Awardare:

• Nikki Booth, My Wealth Solutions
• Adam Lai, Green Associates
• Christine Swanson, Prominent Financial Services

The finalists of the FAAA Professional Practice of the Year Award are:

• Boutique Advisers, WA
• Oxlade Financial, QLD
• WARR HUNT, VIC

The finalists for the FAAA Inspire Women – Excellence in Advice Award are:

• Melody Edwards CFP®, Evalesco Financial Services
• Morgan Hayward, Lume Wealth
• Kelly King, Iconic Wealth

The finalists for the FAAA Gen Next Rising Star of the Year Award are:

• Aayush Sharma, Frost Financial Services
• Shannon Victor, Oxlade Financial
• Aden Wilkins CFP®, Capital Partners

The finalists for the FAAA University Student of the Year Award are:

• Leah Dhu, Curtin University
• Katherine Mitterer, University of South Australia
• Callum Wishart, University of Queensland

Ms Milnes thanked the supporters of the awards, noting their commitment to the advancement of excellence in financial advice.

“This important recognition can’t happen without the help of our award sponsors, and we thank them for their ongoing support and commitment to excellence in our profession.”

Kieran Forde, head of adviser channel at Zurich Australia, the sponsors of the FAAA Adviser of the Year Award, said Zurich congratulates the finalists for their achievements and for leading the way in our industry. 

“Each of the three outstanding professionals has set themselves apart through their commitment to excellence, integrity, and the highest standards of advice. Their passion for helping clients achieve financial wellbeing is matched by their positive impact on the wider financial advice community.”

Beau Riley, general manager retail sales and new business at TAL, sponsor of the FAAA Inspire Women – Excellence in Advice Award, said the award recognises the remarkable impact women have across the profession.

“All the finalists have showcased what great advice really looks like – exceptional leadership combined with genuine care for clients and communities.

“Hearing the candidates’ stories has been a privilege, and they’re a powerful reminder of the role advisers play in helping Australians build confident financial futures. Congratulations to all finalists on this well-deserved recognition.”

Andrew Gregory, chief advice officer at UniSuper, sponsor of the FAAA University Student of the Year Award, said the calibre of entrants for this award continues to rise.

“UniSuper is delighted to support the next generation of advice professionals through this award for a second year. The future looks bright when emerging professionals are creating positive impact on the financial planning profession and their communities.”

The post Finalists announced for the 2025 FAAA Awards appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Hans Egger

While many young advisers are now degree-qualified, they are seeking more support in the use of soft skills to develop relationships with clients, according to Hans Egger, co-creator of the AstuteWheel.

“There is a knowledge gap surrounding soft skills in young advisers as they complete their Paraplanning apprenticeship and seek to gain client-facing experience. These soft skills need to be both learned and applied,” Mr Egger said.

“The AstuteWheel helps advisers bridge the gap in this knowledge and educates them on how to demonstrate value to clients in their advice process.”

Mr Egger said whilst the tool was in the development stage he worked with young planners to identify specific needs and uncover gaps in terms of relating their technical knowledge to the needs of the client.

Joe Stephan, CFP and director of Stephan Strategic said the AstuteWheel has helped him make the most of both the client’s time and his own.

“One of the things that has been inherent in the financial planning industry is taking down facts and figures in meetings which does my head in,” he said. “Collecting facts and figures doesn’t help us engage our clients and doesn’t build trust. One of the things AstuteWheel has really helped us with is the collection of data prior to the meeting. When the client comes in, we can learn about them and start to really understand what strategies would work.”

Mr Stephan said this puts Stephan Strategic on the front foot before the client steps into their office. “It steers our thinking and means that in the initial meeting we have more time to speak about things such as life values, goals and objectives and what makes a client tick. These are the things that improve rapport and improve our ability to give good advice.”

Mr Stephan said the results to the bottom line of the business were visible. “It has improved our business and improved our engagement with our clients,” he said.

Matt Leech, financial adviser at Evalesco Financial Services says efficiency is the key in the AstuteWheel. ”I cut 25 minutes from my initial meetings with clients and can now spend the time looking at exactly where the client wants to be,” he says. “I am formulating better plans for my clients as now I have their financial health check and fact-find in front of me before the client steps into my office; I am more prepared.”

Mr Leech also said his referral sources can now see exactly what he does before referring clients. “The referral sources can actually look at the AstuteWheel and see how we add value; now they have something to show the client when making their referral and in turn more clients are coming to see me.”

Since launch on 1 June 2012, more than 300 financial advisers across 130 financial advice practices representing over 40 different dealer groups have subscribed to the AstuteWheel.

Mr Egger developed the AstuteWheel to overcome client engagement problems. Launched with the support of industry marketing specialist and business partner, Michael Topper, the AstuteWheel includes a standardised suite of innovative marketing, pre-engagement and education tools, as well as over 20 strategy modelling calculators, video emails, five-minute financial health checks, mini fact finds and a plain English presentation What is financial planning?. Together these tools help advisers explain the value of advice to clients.

The post Young advisers get on board the AstuteWheel appeared first on AdviserVoice.